Item: Vajrapani (Bodhisattva & Buddhist Deity) - Nilambhara

Vajrapani, Nilambharadhara.

Vajrapani, is blue in colour, with one face and two hands. In the right is a vajra scepter held aloft. The left is held to the heart in a threatening gesture. He has three eyes and orange hair twisting upward. At the top of his head are white and a blue snakes, yellow snakes as earrings, a red snake as a necklace, white snakes as a belt and bracelets. He wears a black snake as a garland, and black snakes anklets. The upper body is attired in a blue garment, the lower body a tiger skin. The right leg is bent and the left straight. He is completely surrounded by the flames of pristine awareness fire.

At the top center is Buton Rinchen Drub and his two principal students. Directly below is Akshobhya Buddha. At the top left side are Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja, Vajrabhairava and Chakrasamvara. At the top right side are Shakyamuni, Dipamkara and Maitreya Buddhas.

Descending on the left side are Nagaraja Buddha, Sitatapatra, Arapachana Manjushri, Panjarnata Mahakala, Chaturmukha Mahakala and Black Jambhala. Descending on the right side are Vajravidarana, Ushnishavijaya, Chaturbhuja Lokeshvara, Chaturbhuja Mahakala, Yama Dharmaraja and Yellow Jambhala.

At the lower center, below Vajrapani, is Vaishravana Riding a Lion accompanied by the Eight Horsemen. To the right and left sides are four different forms of Vaishravana: two red forms, a green, and a black in colour. At the bottom center is Shri Devi Dorje Rabtenmma, the special protector of Shalu Monastery, accompanied by six wrathful dancing retinue figures.

Jeff Watt 9-2021